The weather outside was not very May-like, but Tuesday Funk warmed the upstairs lounge at the Hopleaf with stories both funny and serious -- and sometimes both simultaneously.

Mikki Kendall started us off by reading a portion of a new urban fantasy set in an ominous version of Chicago, and invited the audience to suggest a title. Next Shanna Shrum told the story of a very bad day with her beloved dog. Cohost Andrew Huff read a couple of his patented seasonal haiku, then Mare Swallow described a bizarre "show piano" class she took recently, with the assistance of her friend Dan Epstein.

After a short break to refill our glasses, cohost Eden Robins read a micro essay, then Mary Anne Mohanraj shared a portion of a new piece of science fiction as well as a romantic poem. Finally, Anne Elizabeth Moore read an excerpt from her new book, Body Horror: Capitalism, Fear, Misogeny, Jokes.

We laughed, we cried, we vowed to do it all again on Tuesday, June 6, except with Lori Rader-Day, Nadine Kenney Johnstone, Ihssan Tahir, Juan Martinez and Elizabeth Gomez! See you there!

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Come celebrate awesomeness at Tuesday Funk tonight, spearheaded by our awesome readers Mikki Kendall, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Anne Elizabeth Moore, Shanna Shrum (filling in for Alicia Swiz, who has had to postpone due to a family emergency) and Mare Swallow! Your humble co-hosts Andrew Huff and Eden Robins will be humbly co-hosting.

Our readings take place at Hopleaf Bar, 5148 N. Clark St. in Chicago. We get started promptly at 7:30 pm in the upstairs lounge. Arrive early if you want a seat -- but no earlier than 7:00 pm. Our readings are free, but only those 21 and over will be admitted. No food can be brought in from the restaurant. See you there!

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Mary Anne Mohanraj is author of Bodies in Motion (HarperCollins), The Stars Change (Circlet Press) and ten other titles. Bodies in Motion was a finalist for the Asian American Book Awards, a USA Today Notable Book, and has been translated into six languages. The Stars Change is a science fiction novella, and finalist for the Lambda, Rainbow, and Bisexual Book Awards. Previous titles include Aqua Erotica,Wet, Kathryn in the City, The Classics Professor, The Best of Strange Horizons,Without a Map, The Poet's Journey, and A Taste of Serendib (a Sri Lankan cookbook). Mohanraj founded the Hugo-nominated magazine, Strange Horizons, and was Guest of Honor at WisCon 2010 and Maneki Neko Con. She serves as Executive Director of the Speculative Literature Foundation, has taught at the Clarion SF/F workshop, and is Clinical Assistant Professor of English at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Please join Mary Anne and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, May 2, 2017 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. RSVP on Facebook.

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Mare Swallow is the Executive Director of the Chicago Writers Conference, and as such was named to NewCity's Lit 50 list twice. Her writing has appeared in Story Club Magazine, Brevity, and Hypertext Magazine. She is the author of 21 Ways to Engage Your Audience, advice drawn from her career as a professional speaker. She speaks at conferences across the country, and tells stories at shows in Chicago, such as Tuesday Funk, Flick Lit, and Mortified. She is a novice ukulele player, and enjoys craft gin, in moderation, of course.

Please join Mare and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, May 2, 2017 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. RSVP on Facebook.

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Alicia Swiz is a professor, performer and professional feminist. Drawing from her personal experience and her academic training, Alicia Swiz facilitates conversations about gender, sex and pop culture. She is the host of the monthly comedy showcase, Feminist Happy Hour, and Kiss & Tell, a sex-positive storytelling series and open mic. Her writing has been featured on Esquire.com, Huffington Post Chicago, and Role Reboot.

Please join Alicia and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, May 2, 2017 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. RSVP on Facebook.

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Mikki Kendall, a writer and occasional feminist divides her time between two careers, a family, and brunch. She commits acts of fiction largely focusing on black people in every situation under the sun, and a few under undefined celestial bodies.

Please join Mikki and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, May 2, 2017 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. RSVP on Facebook.

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Anne Elizabeth Moore was born in Winner, SD and grew up in St. Paul, MN. She is the author of Unmarketable from the New Press (2007 Best Book, Mother Jones) and Cambodian Grrrl from Cantankerous Titles (2012 Best Book, Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award), among many others. The Fulbright Senior Scholar is the former editor of Punk Planet, The Comics Journal, the LA Review of Books comics section, and the Best American Comics series from Houghton Mifflin. She is an internationally lauded cultural critic and comics journalist, with bylines in The Baffler, New Inquiry, Jacobin, Tin House, Salon, Al Jazeera, and Truthout. She and her cat Thurber were recently awarded the third Write A House residency in Detroit, MI. In a starred review, Publisher's Weekly called her new essay collection Body Horror: Capitalism, Fear, Misogyny, Jokes "sharp, shocking, and darkly funny."

Please join Anne Elizabeth and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, May 2, 2017 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. RSVP on Facebook.

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Another month, another stellar collection of readers at Tuesday Funk! Please join us in the upstairs lounge at Hopleaf for readings by Mikki Kendall, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Anne Elizabeth Moore, Mare Swallow, and Alicia Swiz! Hosted as always by Andrew Huff and Eden Robins.

Come get a drink and enjoy some delicious live lit! Doors open at 7 pm (no earlier, but tables fill up quickly so don't dawdle) and the show starts promptly at 7:30 pm. Admission is free, but you must be over 21.